Istanbul Turkey, 2023

An Egyptian Obelisk

Arriving in Istanbul in the evening, we headed out from our hotel towards Sultanahmet Square looking for a place to eat. This obelisk from the time of Cleopatra was not what we expected to see.

Istanbul: Roman Obelisk

Returning through Sultanahmet Square after a kebab dinner, this Roman obelisk, a gift from the emperor Hadrian, caught our attention. The Blue Mosque is in the background.

Istanbul: The Blue Mosque at Night

Here's another shot of the Blue Mosque from Sultanahmet Square. It's official name is the Sultanahmet Camii.

Istanbul: Archeological Museum

It was raining and the line at the Hagia Sofia was long. We continued north to the Archeological Museum.

Instanbul: Statue of Athena in the Archeological Museum

The Archeological Museum is well laid out with extensive collections from the Greek, Roman and Ottoman eras. This lovely statue is of the godess Athena.

Istanbul: A Colorful Sculpture

From the Archeological Museum, we headed to the Grand Bazaar encountering this puzzling sculpture on the way.

Istanbul: The Grand Bazaar

The Grand Bazaar is a huge complex of buildings containing dozens of "streets" filled with small shops, mostly selling tourist goods.

Istanbul: The Spice Market

The Istanbul Spice Market was more interesting than the Grand Bazaar. The variety of goods was overwhelming.

Istanbul: The Blue Mosque

We entered the courtyard of the Blue Mosque. We decided not to go inside at that time since the entrance line was long and the afternoon call to prayer had just been made. The Blue Mosque is still an active house of worship.

The Hagia Sofia

The next day we headed to the north end of Sultanahmet Square to vist the Hagia Sofia (Ayasofya Camii.) The massive building was originally a Byzantine church, then a mosque and is now a museum although many muslims pray there.

Instanbul: Entrance to the Hagia Sofia

It was raining as we went to The Hagia Sofia. We were among the first inside which made it an awesome experience. Like any mosque, visitors must take off their shoes and women must wear a headscarf.

Istanbul: Interior of the Hagia Sofia.

The Hagia Sofia was originally built in the 6th century CE by the emperor Justinian I. It was the largest church in the world for nearly a thousand years before it was converted into a mosque by the 15th-century Ottoman sultan, Mehmed the Conqueror.

Istanbul: Hagia Sofia Detail

Restoration work in progress.

Istanbul: Hagia Sofia Angel

Byzantine angels hover in the corners of the Hagia Sofia.

Istanbul: Hagia Sofia dome

Looking up at the dome in the Hagia Sofia.

Istanbul: Hagia Sofia Christian Mosaic

On exiting the Hagia Sofia, you come across this beautiful, early christian mosaic.

Istanbul: Topkapi Palace Entrance

After the Hagia Sofia we visited the Topkapi palace, one of the largest palaces in the World. It's a museum now comprised of a dozen or more buildings including a reliquary and treasure house.

Istanbul Topkapi Palace Harem

The Topkapi Palace Harem is the private, personal apartments of the Sultan and his family where they were served by eunuchs.

Istanbul: Topkapi Palace Reception Room

The main reception room of the palace where petitions were received. The throne in the photo was for the Sultan's mother.

Istanbul: Topkapi Palace dome

The dome of the Reception room in the Topkapi Palace.

Istanbul Topkapi Palace Terrace

A terrace just outside of the main reception room.

Istanbul: Blue Mosque Interior

The next morning we visited the Bule Mosque. It's called the Blue Mosque because of the brilliant blue tiles and stained glass windows. It's really beautiful.

Istanbul: Blue Mosque Dome

Unlike the Hagia Sofia with its constant tour groups, the Blue Mosque, despite it huge scale, was a quiet, completive space.

Istanbul: Orient Express

We continued north to the train station, the terminus of the famous Orient Express. Sadly, the station was closed a few years ago. The dining room is decorated with photographs of Agatha Christie,

Hafiz Mustafa Baklava

Hafiz Mustafa is a famous Turkish coffee shop. You'd be amazed at the variety of sweets available here. We stopped in for lattes, baklava and ice cream.

Istanbul: Basilica Cistern

The next day brought us to the Basilica Cistern, a large underground reservoir built in the 6th century by the emperor, Hadrian. Its main purpose was to insure an adequate supply of water should the city come under seige.

Istanbul Basilica Medusa Head

Medua's head upside down supports a column. There are many coins in the few inches of water and probably more older ones under the sediment.

Istanbul: Sultanahmet

The Basilica Cistern is near the ferry docks. We hopped aboard a Bosporus tour boat. This is the view looking back at the old city.

Istanbul: Bosporus Tour Boat

The Bosporus connects the Black Sea to the Mediterranean and separates Europe from Asia. Our tour boat, while comfortable, was not as fancy at this one.

Istanbul: Ottoman Palace

Moving out into the the Bosporus we see the Dolmabahçe Palace.

Instanbul: Fortifications

The old walls of Instanbul built to keep out the invading Huns and Christian Crusaders.

Istanbul: Bosporus and the Golden Horn

Looking north up the Bosporus. The waterway inlet on the far left is the Golden Horn. Across it is the Taksin business and shopping district. On the right is the Asian part of Instanbul.

Istanbul İstiklal Caddesi

Next day, we ventured across the Galata Pedestrian bride to the Taksin area of Istanbul looking for a long pedestrianized shopping street called İstiklal Caddesi where Turks shop for Western brands.

Istanbul: Pedestrian Bridge

Returning on the pedestrian bridge, a view of the Yeni Mosque.

Istanbul: Old City Restaurant

This restaurant was around the corner from our hotel. We didn't eat there.

Next stop – Cappadocia.